Argentinian-born Princess Maxima found herself on the point of making a protocol boo-boo while enjoying a trip to her home country with her mother-in-law, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
During one of the official ceremonies they attended, Maxima almost stepped forward in front of the queen, a gaffe which would have been an embarrassing breach of protocol. Realising how close she'd come to a literal faux pas, Maxima's face expressed horror, but her husband Crown Prince Willem-Alexander reassured her with a hearty grin.
The queen was in the South American country for a three-day ceremonial tour which opened with a meeting with President Nestor Kirchner. The president reportedly thanked the visiting royals for the Netherlands' concern for human rights in Argentina: Maxima's father was banned from her 2002 wedding because he had been a minister under his country's dictatorship, during which thousands of people went missing.
The royals continue their trip with a series of official engagements, and no doubt Maxima will be happily sharing some more informal experiences while in her native land with her husband and mother-in-law.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
